44 



and the slopes within reach of irrigation from springs, 

 might doubtless in numerous instances be converted into 

 profitable hop -fields, the yield of hop in Gipps Land having 

 proved very rich. Mr. A. M. M'Leod obtained, in one 

 instance, 1500 Ibs. hops from an acre of ground at Bairnsdale. 

 Messrs. A. W. Howitt, F. Webb and D. Ballentine had there 

 also large returns from their hop-fields. As an instance how 

 large a revenue might be realised from forest land in a variety of 

 ways, quite irrespective of wood supply, I adduce the fact, that 

 the income obtained by the Forest Department of Hanover from 

 the mere gathering of fruit chiefly bleeberries amounted to 

 ,21,750 during one of the late years. The Hanoverian forests 

 comprise an area equal to the county of Bourke,our metropolitan 

 county, and occupy one-seventh of the territory. Speaking of 

 Hanover, let me add, that the laws promulgated this year in 

 that country render it compulsory on each district to line its 

 roads with trees, the widest distance allowed from tree to tree 

 being 30 feet; similar laws were in force long since in other 

 parts of Germany; fruit-trees are among the trees chosen for 

 these lines. Would it not, therefore, be advisable to natu- 

 ralise along our forest-brooks and in our shady vales such 

 plants as the raspberry bush, the strawberry plant and others, 

 which readily establish themselves. In one of my exploring 

 tours, when it fell to my lot to discover the remotest sources 

 and tributaries of the River Yarra, and to ascend first of all 

 Mount Baw Baw, I scattered the seeds of the large-fruited 

 Canada blackberry along the alpine springs ; and I have since 

 learnt that this delicious fruit is now established on the 

 rivulets of that mountain. We may hear of equal successes 

 of experiments which I elsewhere instituted. The truffle, 

 though not an article of necessity, might be naturalised in 

 many of our forests, especially in soil somewhat calcareous. 

 Would any one imagine, that during one recent year (1867) 

 the quantity collected in France was valued at .1,400,000 

 (35,000,000 francs). The time allotted to my address is not 

 sufficient to add much to these instances. 



On various occasions I drew attention to the likelihood of 

 Peru-bark plants being eligible for culture in the sheltered 

 and warmer parts of our woods, inasmuch as in brush shades 

 of the Botanic Gardens the cinchonse endured a temperature 

 two or three degrees under the freezing point. Last year 

 cinchona plants given by me to Mr. G. W. Robinson, of 

 Jlillesley, near Berwick, for experiment, passed quite well 



